On a job that I am doing, there is an area in the front of the house that nothing will go in. While I was talking to the new owner, a neighbor came over and told us that he doubted getting anything to grow there was not going to happen.

The previous owner was a Clorox fiend. She washed everything with Clorox and was afraid putting it down the drain would harm her septic system so she would just dump it over the railing of the front porch. She did this for years.

Their is a wheelchair ramp blocking access to the area so removing the dirt there and replacing it with good soil will be a by hand job.

There is no way I can get a backhoe or other mechanical means to it. I would have to shovel the dirt into a wheel barrow on tne ramp and move it out and then reverse the procedure to put new soil back.

To make things worse, it's my oldest son's mother-in-law so it will be a freeby.

I already tried liquid lawn sulfur and Nature's Magic. Nature's Magic is supposed to detoxify soil. But, I'm afraid I am still going to have to dig it up.

How long ago? When you raise pH using lime it takes quite a while for the pH to change.

I'd also do a soil analysis. I don't know what they cost where you are but here they are $9 + the cost of shipping the soil (usually $3-4). I get them from my county extension office. You may have barely put a dent in the level of alkalinity and just may need a stronger application. The analysis will tell you, down to the pound, how much is needed to change the pH.

Of course, as you say, you may just need to replace it in the end but I sure wouldn't do it as a freebie get your oldest son out there to do the heavy work.

How long ago? When you raise pH using lime it takes quite a while for the pH to change.

I'd also do a soil analysis. I don't know what they cost where you are but here they are $9 + the cost of shipping the soil (usually $3-4). I get them from my county extension office. You may have barely put a dent in the level of alkalinity and just may need a stronger application. The analysis will tell you, down to the pound, how much is needed to change the pH.

Of course, as you say, you may just need to replace it in the end but I sure wouldn't do it as a freebie get your oldest son out there to do the heavy work.

I do my own soil testing. (NPK), plus I have a pH and Nitrogen meter, a Brix analyze, and a moisture content meter.

pH was 4.0 up now to 4.5 after 2 treatments one week apart. Soil is white, down at least 3 feet.

My son is in Iraq, not seheduled home until November. Father in law is in a wheelchair so I am all that's left except my wife and somehow, I don't see her shoveling!